


The Serpent King's Crown

by The_Stars_Above28



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Bughead fluff, F/M, Fluff, Fluffy Ending, bughead - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-31
Updated: 2020-05-31
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:20:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24464092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Stars_Above28/pseuds/The_Stars_Above28
Summary: Where did Jughead get his iconic beanie?  [Bughead fluff]
Relationships: Betty Cooper & Jughead Jones, Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones
Comments: 10
Kudos: 55





	The Serpent King's Crown

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the Riverdale Season 1 instrumental soundtrack, by: Blake Neely.  
> Song title: “If You Love Me” 
> 
> -Takes place pre-season one, the summer before freshman year of high school.-

Jughead, Betty, and Archie watched the flickering credits of _The Breakfast Club_ as they sprawled out on an old picnic blanket. They were at the drive-in movie theater, as the stars twinkled brightly above. Betty’s hair flowed freely over her shoulders, Archie wore an awkward buzz cut, and Jughead had a relaxed expression on his face as he hung out with two of his favorite people in Riverdale. 

“I never understood my mom's obsession with _The Breakfast Club_ until now,” Archie mused. 

“Well, we know which character I am,” Jughead grinned. He thrust one fist into the air victoriously, imitating Bender’s final pose and the movie’s ending shot. 

“Archie’s the jock.” Betty teased, making Archie chuckle self-consciously. Archie was planning to try out for the football team as soon as he could. However, while he had the height, he was currently still _very_ skinny and ungainly. 

“Hopefully,” Archie said sheepishly. He pretended to flex nonexistent muscles, making Jughead roll his eyes while Betty giggled. 

“And Betty’s the perfect princess.” Jughead declared. Betty felt herself blush, her cheeks heating up. 

“Hey, if I’m being compared to Molly Ringwald, then I’ll take it.” Betty smiled at her two best friends as they enjoyed the last few days of summer, before their freshman year at Riverdale High began. 

Glancing down at his watch, Archie groaned. “Ugh, I’m about to be late for curfew. My dad’s being pretty strict with my mom away on a business trip.” 

“That’s rough,” said Jughead. “How long is she gone for?” 

“I’m not sure, she said it could be a while. She’s working on some big trial for her law firm.” Archie replied, not making eye contact. Betty and Jughead exchanged a concerned look, but Archie ignored them. 

“Thanks for the movie night, guys. Do you need me to walk you back home, Betty?” Archie asked, pausing as he turned to leave. 

Betty shook her head, “Thanks, but I don’t need to head back yet. My parents are at a town meeting and Polly paid me twenty bucks not to tell them she was going to a party tonight.” 

Archie nodded, smiling at his two best friends, before taking off at a brisk run for his house. 

Stretching back out on the faded blanket, Jughead snuck a quick glance at Betty. Betty lay back on the blanket, her hair spreading around her like a silky blond halo. Jughead couldn’t help wondering what it would feel like to run his hands through her hair. 

Their hands were incredibly close to touching, less than an inch apart. Either of them could easily have bridged the gap, but neither did. The silence stretched out between them, but it felt comfortable. 

The crickets chirped, and people chatted as they gathered their things and headed home. The drive-in speakers piped a slow, instrumental song. The projector flickered off. 

“So. Do you think we’ll all stay friends in high school, Jug?” Betty asked, her hand moving a minuscule amount closer to Jughead. Jughead could almost swear their pinkie fingers were touching, but he wasn’t completely sure. If they were, it was the absolute lightest of touches. 

“I think so, Betts.” Shifting closer, Jughead propped himself up on one elbow to look down at her. “We’re the Three Musketeers, remember?” 

Fiddling with one of the silver rings on his finger, Jughead slid it off. 

“Here. If you feel worried, you can have this as a reminder. We’ve all been friends for a long time now.” 

Sitting up, Betty accepted the ring, sliding it onto her pointer finger- where it fit perfectly. 

“And that’s not gonna change anytime soon, alright?” Jughead smiled at her. "I promise." 

Betty beamed back at him. “Thanks, Jug.” Leaning in, she caught him in an awkward one-sided hug. Still, despite the awkwardness, Jughead _knew_ this was going to be one of those moments that he remembered for a very long time. 

“That’s right! I forgot I had a present to give you too!” Betty said excitedly, rummaging in her messenger bag. 

“Oh yeah?” 

Pulling something out of her bag, Betty leaned over and gently placed a hat on his head. It was a soft gray beanie, the edges turned up into little points like a crown. A tiny button and a small silver square were sewn on it for decoration. 

“What’s this, Betts?” Jughead asked, grinning. He ran his hand over the hat, feeling the shape of it. 

“I made it! My mom forced Polly and I to go to this knitting class over the summer so we could _bond_.” Betty said, rolling her eyes. 

“But I thought you might like it. It’s okay if you don’t, I would understand- it’s no big deal, really.” Someone else listening might have caught the slightest tremble in her voice, but Jughead was too amazed by her gift to notice. 

As he examined the hat, Jughead contemplated never taking this beanie off again. It wasn’t just that it was the comfiest thing he’d ever worn- it came from _Betty_. While he’d been slightly worried about what high school might do to their friendship, this gave him hope. 

“Are you kidding? I love it! Thanks, Betts.” He grinned at her and they both stretched back on their blanket: Jughead now wearing his new beanie and Betty playing with the tarnished silver ring on her finger. In the darkness, neither could see how widely they had made each other smile. 

Later that night, Jughead insisted on walking Betty home. The soft orange glow of streetlights illuminated the way and the streets of Riverdale were quiet. 

“Well, thanks for tonight. It was really fun. And I’ll see you at school soon, right?” Betty asked, her gaze flickering to Jughead’s face. 

“Yeah.” Clearing his throat, Jughead took the tiniest step forward, like he wanted to give her a hug, but stopped himself halfway. Noticing, Betty closed the distance, her arms wrapping tightly around him. They held each other, Betty resting her cheek lightly on Jughead’s chest and Jughead wondering if he'd ever enjoyed a hug this much before. 

“See ya soon, Juggy.” Betty smiled, stepping back. She lightly darted up to her front door and pulled a key from her purse. Jughead waited to make sure she got safely inside, unable to keep the smile off his face. 

Whatever would come next for all at Riverdale High- he was making it his mission to get more incredible hugs from Betty Cooper. Shooting one fist up into the air triumphantly, Jughead walked off into the night. As he made his way home, he could practically hear the triumphant movie credit music playing in his ears. Unbeknownst to him, Jughead and that beanie were going to go through more adventures than he could possibly imagine. 

….. 

Years later, Jughead still wore the same gray beanie. With his Serpent Queen next to him, still sleeping, he lazily kissed her awake. Nuzzling into his neck, Betty sleepily reached to pull him closer and her fingers grazed the beanie. 

While she never returned to knitting the way her mother had once hoped, Betty had made more than one beanie for Jughead over the years. It was a symbol of their friendship and love for each other. Every time Betty saw him wearing it, she would remember that night at the drive-in: when she first felt butterflies for the boy who would eventually become the love of her life. 

As for Betty’s gift, once his silver ring no longer fit, she wore it constantly on a necklace. And eventually, Jughead would replace it with a very different type of ring than one given in friendship. 

But despite any teasing the Serpents gave him, Jughead still wore and cherished the original beanie that Betty gave him that summer. It was his lucky charm, his talisman, and a symbol. 

After all, the Serpent King had to have his crown.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! :)


End file.
